KNOW THE MAYORS: IN THEIR MOTHERS’ FOOTSTEPS

The new mayors of holy city Amritsar and royal city Patiala both have mothers who remained councillors. Both have held posts in the Congress, climbed through commitment to the party. Being in their 40s, they are relatively young too.

PATIALA: BITTU RISES THROUGH RANKS

Sanjiv Sharma Bittu, 44, is a loyalist of former Union minister Preneet Kaur, and was leader of opposition in previous MC House. His stance against the SAD-BJP on civic issues got noticed and, in the state Congress rejig before the assembly polls, he was made chairman of local bodies cell. He remained local Youth Congress president from 1996 to 2008. In 2012, amid alleged booth-capturing by the SAD-BJP, he won. Bittu had dropped out of studies after BA-1. His mother was a councillor (2002-07), and father a government employee. He joined the party in 1994. As for senior deputy mayor Yoginder Singh Yogi, he is a first-time councillor and is being seen as a surprise choice. Deputy mayor Vinti Sangar has been chosen as a woman and Dalit face.

AMRITSAR: SEVENTH AND ‘FIRST’

Karamjit Singh Rintu, 45, is a son of Onkar Kaur, who was councillor for two terms until 2012. He contested the 2012 assembly polls on Congress ticket from Amritsar North against ex-minister Anil Joshi of BJP, but lost. In 2017, party gave ticket to former mayor Sunil Dutti who won. Rintu did not campaign then. He won the MC election in December 2017 and was promised mayor’s post, said leaders in the party. He is the seventh mayor of Amritsar, and the first Sikh to get the post. As for senior deputy mayor Raman Bakshi, he started his career with the Youth Congress; won MC election in 2007 but had lost in 2012. Deputy mayor Younis Kumar is known to be working for the welfare of Dalits since long in Amritsar. He has won four times continuously.